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O'Reilly Whitewashes Torture at Gitmo: 'There's Certainly No Proof That Ever Happened'

Posted by Ryan Powers, Think Progress at 5:02 AM on December 2, 2008.


Is Bill O'Reilly really this naive?
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Today on the Radio Factor, a listener called in to tell Bill O'Reilly that she had "zero confidence" in Obama's ability to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In the course of her call, the listener expressed mock concern for the detainees that were mistreated there. O'Reilly, apparently missing the caller's sarcastic tone, interrupted her to falsely claim that "no proof" exists to back-up accusations of mistreatment and that his two tours of the prison facility confirm that:

OREILLY: [T]here are accusations of mistreatment at Guantanamo, but there's certainly no proof that ever happened. I think they were rough in the beginning after 9/11, that some stuff happened that shouldn't have, but I went there twice and we have good contacts there. And, I think that they basically got that under control pretty quickly.

O'Reilly was so confident is his declaration that mistreatment never occurred at Gitmo that he selected the call as the "Radio Factor Call of the Day."

Listen here:

Despite O'Reilly's claims, "proof" of mistreatment and torture of detainees at Guantanamo Bay does exist. In 2004, the Red Cross documented "cruel, inhumane and degrading" treatment of detainees while inspecting the facility. Perhaps more disturbing, the Guardian reported last year:

Captives at Guantánamo Bay were chained hand and foot in a fetal position to the floor for 18 hours or more, urinating and defecating on themselves, an FBI report has revealed. ... One witness said he saw a barefoot detainee shaking with cold because the air conditioning had bought the temperature close to freezing.

O'Reilly is naive to believe that his short PR tours of Gitmo provided him with an objective view of the prison. CNN reported that when they visited Gitmo in 2005 that the restrictions placed on journalists touring the facility "made it nearly impossible...to get a full picture of the prison."

Digg!

Tagged as: torture, bill o'reilly, gitmo, denial

Ryan Powers is a former intern of the Center for American Progress and a senior at the College of William and Mary.


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Are you questioning the 'All knowing' Mr. O'Reilly?
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Magginkat on Dec 2, 2008 5:59 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
For real? Don't you know that Mr. O'Reilly can see through walls? Don't you know that he personally interviewed the prisoners and that they told him they loved being there in the nice warm climate of Cuba and not in the icy mountains of Afghanistan or the dismal bombed out Iraq?

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

1984, Also commonly titled as Nineteen Eighty-Four
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Lauren on Dec 2, 2008 7:00 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
We are all victims of terrorism.

Webmaster's Note, 5/10/2007 - We have been informed by the rights holder that this work is still copyrighted in our territory. So we have removed it. You may still read our original summary though to the left.

Summary Pt. 3 Chp. 5

Chapter 5
Winston is confined in Room101, strapped to a chair in a way which rendered him completely immobile. In front of him were two tables on which stood two covered wire cages. O’Brien was holding a lever which would operate the cages. Impassively, O’Brien explains that what Room 101 contains is quite simply, “the worst thing in the world.” This varies from individual to individual. For some it may be torture, fire for some one else, drowning for yet others. For each individual, Room 101 held his greatest fear. When confronted with that, courage and cowardice lose their meaning, one will do whatever one has to do to avoid the horror in Room 101 as naturally and automatically as one will grab at a rope to keep from falling.
In Winston’s case, his greatest fear, his worst nightmare was rats and it was rats there were there in the cages in front of him. O’Brien informs him that he is going to open the cages and set the rats onto him. The rats are starving, they will sense Winston’s helplessness and devour him inch by inch. Winston cries out in terror asking O’Brien to only tell him what he has to do to avoid this. O’Brien vouchsafes no answer and lays his hand on the lever which would open the cages. In a total frenzy Winston sees the rats behind the bar and with a sudden flash of intuition realizes what he has to do to save himself. He has to take the final step of degradation, he has to betray Julia. It is no longer a matter of choice, before this threat, he is helpless. He cries out “Do it to Julia! Not me!” Repeating that cry he is aware that the lever has clicked back into place, the cage is closed. His degradation is finally completed in Room 101.

For me Room 101 was being sent to the mental lockup. I think the most interesting and yet untold part of my story is why my husband had such an obsession to send me there. His betrayal of me, ala 1984, was the most horrible thing that has ever happened to me.

It was a double shock when I realized the police had put him up to it. I wonder what they did to him, what was his Room 101 they did to him to get him to betray me. I really wonder about that I have in mind some of the people to ask too, people at his work. The LAST place he wants me to be.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

He's a Wise Guy that Knows the Ratings Game
[Report this comment]
Posted by: jack mchale on Dec 2, 2008 7:22 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Because no one could truly believe that there was NO torture at Gitmo..He is a shrewd shill for Fox who, in doing so, is making lots of money...There is no real analysis in his 'work" as a journalist...Pay attention to him at the risk of your own intellectual health

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Taking back Christmas
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Lauren on Dec 2, 2008 9:14 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
We are winning, one art project at a time.
Christmas Colors for the White House: Red, White and Impeach

(Photo courtesy of Deborah Lawrence)
When Deborah Lawrence got the invitation from the White House, the Seattle-based artist decided to make a lefty political statement.

But she never expected it would hang on the official Christmas tree.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

And as if that isn't bad enough...
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Quannah on Dec 2, 2008 9:17 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I heard him on his TV show last night say that, if it looks like there could be prosecutions for those who tortured, there will be a mass exodus from CIA, and all career people will quit, leaving the CIA without anyone with "experience." He, of course, had one of his hacks who backed him up. There was a "hand-wringing party."

He also said that CIA people working overseas are "terrified" that they can't come home! They're afraid that if they get off the plane in Washington, they will have handcuffs slapped on them! (read: mock anger here)

He went on to say that if Guantanamo Bay is closed, it will endanger people -- families! -- living here because "the worst terrorists" will be in this country! What if they escape???

He's freaking out because he knows his irrelevancy is becoming more obvious every day. He's afraid because he's losing his audience share to Olbermann, and his numbers are shrinking.

Poor Bill-O! Whatever will he do?

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

And as if that isn't bad enough...
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Quannah on Dec 2, 2008 9:18 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I heard him on his TV show last night say that, if it looks like there could be prosecutions for those who tortured, there will be a mass exodus from CIA, and all career people will quit, leaving the CIA without anyone with "experience." He, of course, had one of his hacks who backed him up. There was a "hand-wringing party."

He also said that CIA people working overseas are "terrified" that they can't come home! They're afraid that if they get off the plane in Washington, they will have handcuffs slapped on them! (read: mock anger here)

He went on to say that if Guantanamo Bay is closed, it will endanger people -- families! -- living here because "the worst terrorists" will be in this country! What if they escape???

He's freaking out because he knows his irrelevancy is becoming more obvious every day. He's afraid because he's losing his audience share to Olbermann, and his numbers are shrinking.

Poor Bill-O! Whatever will he do?

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

And as if that isn't bad enough...
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Quannah on Dec 2, 2008 9:19 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I heard him on his TV show last night say that, if it looks like there could be prosecutions for those who tortured, there will be a mass exodus from CIA, and all career people will quit, leaving the CIA without anyone with "experience." He, of course, had one of his hacks who backed him up. There was a "hand-wringing party."

He also said that CIA people working overseas are "terrified" that they can't come home! They're afraid that if they get off the plane in Washington, they will have handcuffs slapped on them! (read: mock anger here)

He went on to say that if Guantanamo Bay is closed, it will endanger people -- families! -- living here because "the worst terrorists" will be in this country! What if they escape???

He's freaking out because he knows his irrelevancy is becoming more obvious every day. He's afraid because he's losing his audience share to Olbermann, and his numbers are shrinking.

Poor Bill-O! Whatever will he do?

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Poor Bill
[Report this comment]
Posted by: eviltwit on Dec 2, 2008 4:24 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
you almost have to feel sorry for the man in his advanced state of delusion and denial

NOT!

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Waynep
[Report this comment]
Posted by: waynep on Dec 3, 2008 7:28 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Just a few thoughts. If no-one in the CIA, etc. was involved in torture, why in the world will all of the experienced operatives quit, or leave the country? They lock up rapist for life, but I feel no need to go into hiding or leave the country, etc....because I haven't raped anybody. If Billy boy thinks that a willingness to prosecute the guilty would cause a mass exodus, is it not logical to assume that he, at least, believes that there was a "whole bunch" of torture going on?
Of course, maybe it get's down to a semantic argument as to what constitutes torture. I think it would be a courageous move as a "journalist" (yes I am using that term loosely) for him to volunteer to go through the various techniques that we are aware of to demonstrate that he is right, that these do not constitute torture. At that point, I could begin to respect his opinion. Until that time, he is just another right wing coward running his mouth.

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